The Art of Breaking
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: If breaking was an art form, Lizzie Stabler was the Mona Lisa. - Lizzie Stabler's boyfriend abuses her and she turns to her father's partner for safety. - Eventual EO. "Stop the violence, no more silence."
1. This Is A Call

**This was an idea I tossed around with a few friends of mine regarding the forgotten Stabler. I feel like Lizzie is really underutilized and well, that's what fanfic is for. :) Thousand Foot Krutch is one of my favorite bands and this fic is inspired by their music. **

**Dedicated to Rowan for suggesting the use of TFK and Lizzie and to Rachel for letting me bounce all of this off of her. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

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**_She knows, she's so much more than worthless,  
She needs to find a purpose,__  
She wonders what she did to deserve this  
And she's calling out to you,_

_This is a call, this is a call out,  
Cause every time I fall down,  
I reach out to you,  
And I'm losing all control now,  
And my hazard signs are all out,  
I'm asking you to show me what this life is all about.  
_-Thousand Foot Krutch's 'This is a Call'

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Elizabeth Stabler had always thought she was too smart for this. She had watched her older sisters go through their fair share of bad boyfriends and had promised herself that she would never let herself become one of those girls. She'd always swore she'd never let a boy walk all over her, use her, or lay a hand upon her. She was the daughter of a cop, she was supposed to know how to avoid idiots like that. Then she started her junior year of high school where she grew into her gawky frame, got contacts, and learned to not part her hair in the middle, which gained her the attention of senior quarterback, Noah Jacobs.

Noah stood at just over six feet and was built like the Hulk. He had transferred from a school in South Carolina when he moved to New York with his father over the summer. He had a crooked grin and a twang that made Lizzie go weak in the knees and lose her head. She hadn't known in September that by Christmas Break Noah would be a two-faced monster that she could hardly recognize. At first he was sweet; held her hand, met her parents, went to church on Sundays and then it was like a switch was flipped and everything that went wrong became Lizzie's fault.

The first time he hit her was the Saturday after their winter formal. Lizzie had come over to watch movies with him and she accidentally let his dog out when she opened the door. He had called her stupid and gave her a black eye. An hour later he had apologized profusely, swore it'd never happen again, and begged her not to tell anyone. She had told her parents she had walked into the door.

Now it was March and the 'It won't happen ever again, Baby, I love you. Please don't tell's were occurring multiple times a week and the lies now slipped past her teeth with an ease that was frightening. She had no idea what she had done to set him off this time but she was stuck with no where to run. They were waiting in rush hour traffic on their way into the city on Friday afternoon so Lizzie could go to her father's place. The back of Noah's hand collided with her face and Lizzie cringed, "You're fucking worthless, can't you ever do anything right?"

"I'm sorry, Noah." She whimpered as his fist collided with her shoulder, her side, her face. Her heart rate quickened because she had no idea how she was going to explain her way out of these new bruises that were sure to form. He slugged her in the jaw as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and she prayed someone would see them, "You're right. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Fucking useless, Bitch." Noah's hand slammed against the steering wheel and Lizzie jumped, drawing her knees to her chest and waiting for the outburst to end. She hated that with every outburst the more she believed him to be true. Once upon a time she was a self-confident teenage girl and now she was starting to believe the claims that she was worthless, useless, stupid, unlovable. She craved the normalcy her life once held but since her parents divorced they both worked more and the only people she saw on a regular basis was her siblings. Dickie had asked about the bruises but she'd just brushed him off and when he persisted she had screamed at him until he stopped caring. Her father had noticed the marks on her weekends with him but Lizzie had just claimed they were from fights with assorted people.

Maureen had figured it out when she visited on Valentine's day. Lizzie had made her swear not tell and promised her that she would leave Noah. Maureen hadn't told but Lizzie didn't end things with Noah. Things were getting worse and worse and Lizzie was afraid that one day Noah was going to follow through on his threats and go ahead and kill his worthless girlfriend.

"I love you, Noah." She tried to pacify him as she reached out cautiously to lay a hand on his forearm. He grabbed her arm and twisted it til Lizzie was sure that her wrist was going to snap. Tears slipped from her blue eyes as she bit her swollen lip, "Noah, let go please. Please just let go. I'm sorry. You're right. I fuck everything up."

"Someone. Has. To. Teach. You. A. Lesson." Noah growled as he laid on his horn at the backed up traffic. The southern accent that had once been endearing just made his deep voice scarier and Lizzie began to search for a way to get out of the situation. She didn't come to Manhattan for anything much outside of visiting her father and so she was at a loss as to where she was. She spotted a street sign and recognized the name; it was the same street of the precinct her father worked at. He wasn't scheduled to work but she could at least hide out there until she was sure that Noah was long gone. She could live without her bag, undoing the belt and unlocking the door, she moved swiftly out of the vehicle, "LIZZIE!" Noah yelled after her, "GET BACK HERE, YOU BITCH!"

Tears slid down her face as she sprinted down the sidewalk, weaving her way around groups of people as her lungs burned from the sprint she hadn't stretched for. She didn't allow herself to look back as she continued down the sidewalk toward the sixteenth precinct. She reached the cement steps of the building and slowed her sprint to a jog. Her brain hurt; Noah would kill her if she told but now she was afraid that he'd kill her even if she didn't. Her feet felt like brick as she started up the stairs; her converse slipped on the seventh step and she fell to her knees. Tears poured down as she curled into a ball, rocking herself.

"Lizzie?" Olivia Benson paused on her way down the steps; she was on a mission for good coffee when she spotted her partner's daughter. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw the blood and the bruises, "Lizzie, what happened?"

"I can't tell." Lizzie sobbed; she looked up at Olivia, eyes blood shot and blood dripping from her split lip, "He'll kill me if I tell. I can't tell, Liv. I can't. I can't. I can't. I can't."

"Lizzie," Olivia dropped to the steps next to her, carefully wrapping an arm around her, "I won't let nobody hurt you, Baby, but you have to tell me who did this to you."

"It's stupid," Lizzie sniffled, "I should have stopped him. Should have listened to Maureen. Shouldn't have let this happen."

"Stopped who, Liz." Olivia shed her leather jacket, wrapping it around Elizabeth's shoulders. She hadn't seen any of the Stabler in a long time and had missed them a lot but she had never wanted this to be the way she ran into Lizzie. She helped Lizzie stand, "Let's go inside, Sweetheart."

Cradling her bruised wrist, she sniffled and stared at her feet, "It was Noah."

"Noah?" Olivia's brows burrowed in confusion as she racked her brain for the name. She had heard Elliot mention Lizzie's cowboy of a boyfriend a while back and she vaguely remembered the name Noah being tossed around, "Your boyfriend?"

Lizzie nodded, fresh tears falling down as she wrapped her arms around herself protectively, "He's gonna kill me Livia. How could I be so stupid?"

"Ssh, Honey," Olivia pulled out her cellphone, "I'm going to take you to a hospital and get you checked out and we'll get all this taken care of."

"NO!" She screamed, "Daddy can't find out! Liv, he'll kill him."

The doors to the precinct opened as John Munch walked outside ready to harass Olivia for taking her sweet time with the coffee when he saw the distraught young girl, "Liv? What's going on?"

"Call Elliot," Olivia instructed, "Tell him to meet me at Sinai and that I have Lizzie with me." Lizzie began to protest but Olivia picked up the petite girl and carried her to the police issue sedan. She buckled Lizzie in like she was still five years old and got in the driver's seat. She pulled the first aid kit from under the seat and handed Lizzie gauze to hold to her bleeding lip as she flipped on the siren and headed to Mount Sinai hospital.

Somewhere along the way Lizzie slipped from consciousness and Olivia's heart rate quickened. This was her partner's baby girl and there she was sitting bruised and battered in the passenger seat of the police car. Squealing to a stop in front of the hospital, Olivia again carried Lizzie this time into the Emergency Room. Doctors and nurses rushed over at the sight of the girl; they got Lizzie onto a gurney before rushing toward a trauma room. Olivia followed after only to be stopped by the nurse at the swinging doors, "I'm sorry, Miss, family only."

"I'm a police officer," Olivia pulled her badge from her pocket, "and that little girl is my partner's daughter. I'm going in there." The nurse stepped to the side and Olivia stepped into the room as chaos occurred all around her. IV's were hung, suture kits were tore open, metal instruments clicked and clanged in a blur. Lizzie woke momentarily in a cry of pain that ripped Olivia's heart in two before they gave her pain medication that eased her back into unconsciousness.

"Any idea who did this to her?" One of the doctor's asked Olivia who was as pale as a ghost and leaning against the wall.

"Her," She choked on the dry air, "Her boyfriend."

"Add a rape kit." The attending told the charge nurse and Olivia's heart hit the floor. In the chaos of everything that had happened Olivia hadn't even thought of asking that question. The question that as an SVU detective she was trained to ask every victim, but this was her partner's daughter and she couldn't fathom something like that happening to Lizzie.

"Ma'am," The nurse interrupted her thought, "we need you to step outside for this." Olivia nodded and pushed off the wall, going out into the hallway and taking a seat on an archaic plastic chair that was fastened to the wall. She put her head in her hands and fought back the tears that were forming her eyes, she didn't know how to think like a police officer on this one.

She heard him before she saw him; his shoes pounded down the tile hallway in a rhythm that belonged to him and him alone. She lifted her head slowly as she saw the fear on his face, "Liv, what happened!?"

"El," She stood and placed a hand on his arm, "calm down for a second. Lizzie's gonna be okay; she, uh, she got beat pretty badly. She showed up at the precinct when I was on my way out and El, he beat the living hell out of her."

"Who did?" Elliot asked, she could feel his pulse racing through his veins.

"Noah."

"Son of a bitch." He cursed and she didn't even blink as his fist collided with the wall, "I knew that bastard was no good. I swear, I'm going to -"

"You are not," Olivia interrupted him, "Lizzie's scared enough. She needs you to stay calm, Elliot. She needs you to be her daddy right now. Later, when Lizzie's okay, I promise to help you return the favor to him."

Elliot's shoulders slumped in submission, "I need to be with her."

"As soon as they're done with the...." Olivia paused, unable to finish the phrase. She saw the look on Elliot's face and she knew that he knew what they were doing now, "She didn't say that he did but she lost consciousness and they needed to be sure."

He collapsed into the plastic chair that she had been sitting in, she crouched in front of him and took his hand in hers, "How could this happen to Lizzie? Out of all my girls Lizzie is the most careful, Liv. She's always been so cautious and strong. She's strong, Liv. How could this happen to her?"

"I don't know." She sighed, "I don't know, Elliot, but we're gonna get this scumbag. He's gonna pay for what he did to her."

The doors to the trauma room opened and the nurses emerged. One went off toward the lab with the rape kit and the other stood there, "She's awake but groggy. She's asking for her dad."

"I need to call Kath." Elliot murmured as he stood but didn't let go of Olivia's hand.

"I'll do that," Olivia promised, squeezing his hand, "go be with Lizzie, El." She told him and he nodded, moving past the nurse and entering the room.

Olivia turned her attention to the nurse, "Negative or positive."

"Both," The nurse informed her, "there was no new tearing or scarring but there is definite evidence of previous sexual trauma."

Olivia closed her eyes, "Fuck."

–

Elliot Stabler tried to mentally prepare himself for what lay on the other side of the curtain. His daughter had been assaulted and he felt the bile raising in his throat. It had been his worst fear since he had joined the force; that someone would harm Maureen, Kathleen, Dickie, or Lizzie. He and Kathy had raised the girls to be strong, to fight back and he had never expected any of them to end up in that sort of relationship – particularly Lizzie. Then again, he was kicking himself for not seeing it sooner. She had taken the divorce the hardest, she had soaked up the attention of the boys who admired the changes she had made over the summer.

Stepping around the curtain tears flooded his eyes as he saw his little girl laying in the bed covered in bruises. Elliot blinked back the tears as she looked up at him, tears already falling she reached out for him. Through her tears, she cried, "I'm sorry, Daddy. I should have stopped him. I should have stopped him. This is all my fault."

"No, Baby," Elliot lowered the guard rail on the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around his daughter as carefully as he could, "you didn't ask for this." He brushed the hair from her face and pressed a kiss to her temple, "I love you, Elizabeth Grace."

"Daddy," She sniffled, "I love him. Why'd he do it? He was so good to me and then it was like he snapped and everything I ever did was wrong."

"I don't know," Elliot traced circles on her back, "we'll figure all that out later. Right now you need to rest. Your mom will be here soon and we'll take it from there."

"Everything is all messed up," Lizzie pulled away, turning on her side and pulling the hospital issue blanket up to her chin, "Noah was right. I fuck everything up."

Elliot's blood boiled at his daughter's words. He wanted to hunt down Noah Jacobs and beat him as bad as he beat Lizzie. Noah Jacobs had broke his little girl and now Elliot wanted to break him. Somehow, he had gotten into Lizzie's head and shattered every shred of confidence she had. All Elliot could do was hold her close and try to comfort her, "He's a liar, Liz."

Olivia slowly pushed open the double doors to the trauma room and walked over to the pair. She rested her hand on Elliot's shoulder and gave Lizzie a small smile, "Your mom is on her way, Kiddo. I called Captain Cragen; Munch and Fin are going to handle the case. They should be here to take your statement in a little bit."

"Thanks, Liv." The corners of Elliot's mouth turned up slightly.

"El," Liv nodded her head toward the door, "I need to talk to you. Alone." She looked back at Lizzie who was still half asleep from the morphine and reached out, tucking a blond curl behind her ear, "I need to talk your dad. We'll be right outside in the hallway, okay?"

Elliot kissed her forehead and then stood, following Olivia out into the crowded hallway. She stood silently for a few moments and Elliot kept peaking over her shoulder to make sure Lizzie was okay. Olivia began to pace in front of him and Elliot's heart raced, "Olivia, what's wrong?"

"I need you to stay calm, okay?"

"Liv," His brows furrowed, "You're scaring me."

"I, uh, I talked to the nurse." She ran her hand through her hair and looked at him, "Liz wasn't raped," He breathed a sigh of relief, "this time."

"What?"

"There was evidence of previous sexual trauma." Olivia explained, trying to keep it as clinical and detached as possible. She watched Elliot's knees buckle as he fell back against the wall. She grabbed him at the elbows, trying to steady him but ended up sliding to the floor alongside of him. He didn't make noise but she could tell that he was sobbing. Crawling over to him, she sat beside him against the wall and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close to her. Elliot leaned against her and she let him cry til he couldn't cry anymore.

–

John Munch and Fin Tutuola walked down the corridor of the hospital. Olivia looked up from where she sat on the same plastic chair from earlier, she stretched and popped her back. She ran a hand over her tired eyes, "Hey, Guys."

"How are they doing?" Fin nodded his head toward the room Lizzie was in. Kathy sat on one side and Elliot on the other while Lizzie slept between them both.

"Lizzie's a mess. Broken ribs, sprained wrist, concussion, bruises everywhere." Liv shook her head and Munch placed a comforting hand on her forearm, "Elliot wants to hunt down this kid and kill him – which I think it's safe to say we'd all like to. Kathy just wants to make it better."

"Sounds about right," Munch sighed, "we did a background check on this Noah kid. He's got no record but his dad was arrested for domestic violence a few years back. His parents divorced a year ago and he chose to live with dear old abusive toward women dad."

"Fits the pattern." Olivia fell back into the chair, kicking the ground, "Dammit!"

"Is she up for giving a statement, Baby Girl?" Fin asked and Olivia nodded as she pounded her head against the wall. Munch placed his hand between Olivia's head and the wall before she stood up and the three of them walked into the hospital room.

"Liz," Elliot shook Lizzie's shoulder softly, "Honey, time to wake up." The young girl's eyes fluttered before opening completely, "Detectives Munch and Tutuola are here to take your statement, Baby."

"Oh..." She whispered and set up the best she could in the hospital bed, "Okay." She looked from her father, to her mother, to Olivia, "Does everyone have to be here for this?"

"No," Elliot reassured her, "Whoever you're comfortable with can be here." He promised, squeezing her good hand lightly.

"Would it," She paused, "Can it just be me and Livia? Please."

Elliot knew that Lizzie had attached herself to his partner and he knew that Olivia would do what was best for Elizabeth. He looked over at Kathy who nodded her head, wanting what was best for their daughter, "Sure, I'll go pick up Dickie from basketball and grab some dinner for all of us."

"I'll be right out in the hall." Elliot pressed a kiss to her head before exiting the room with his ex-wife.

–

"What do we do?" Kathy asked as Elliot walked her toward the front doors of the hospital. Her eyes were red and her throat was sore from the tears she had been holding back as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

"C'mere," Elliot pulled her into a hug. Despite everything that happened between the two of them they were still good friends, a piece of paper couldn't tear apart that, "We let her lead. She knows what she needs right now and she'll let us know when she's ready to let us in."

"Yeah," Kathy pulled away and gave him a small smile, "she's tough, El."

–

"Alright, Lizzie," Fin opened his notebook, "just take us through it from the beginning. Even things that may seem like they don't relate might be key."

"Alright," Lizzie nodded, squeezing Olivia's hand tightly and closing her eyes. She began to recount her relationship with Noah and how it had been good before suddenly going sour, "He was like a ticking bomb. He goes off over the tiniest thing. If I wasn't at his Jeep exactly five minutes after the last bell rang, if I said something wrong."

Fin scribbled notes as Munch focused on a chipped tile on the wall. He, just like Elliot, wanted to find this kid and murder him. John Munch had known Elliot since just after the twin's first birthday. Lizzie Stabler had sat on his lap and colored while her father was having a heated argument with Kathy in the stairway, she'd colored him pictures for every feasible holiday and sometimes just because, and she'd always come to him when she wanted candy. To see her as a victim in a hospital bed broke his heart.

"Maureen figured it out at Valentine's when I came home from the date and had a welt on my cheek." Lizzie explained, knees drawn to her chest, "I made her promise not to tell and I lied to her. I told her it was the first time that it happened and that I was ending it with him. I never did. I wish I had then I wouldn't be here now."

"It's okay, Sweetheart." Liv whispered, squeezing her hand and tracing circles on her wrist with her thumb.

Fin sighed, "Lizzie, the nurses did a rape kit on you. We need to know about the sexual abuse."

"He, uhm," Lizzie thrust her head back against the pillow, new tears pooling in her tear ducts, "dammit, it was just a couple of times but he wouldn't listen no matter how much I begged him not to. He kept saying that it was my job. That it was something I was supposed to do for him."

Olivia closed her eyes and bit her lip to keep from screaming out. She reached out cautiously and wiped the tears from Lizzie's eyes, "It's alright, Liz, you're doing really well."

"He always said things like that," Lizzie sniffled, "his dad did too. When I was at his house Noah would hit me in front of his dad and his dad would talk about how women had to be trained. That I was good, obedient bitch unlike Noah's mom."

They listened a while longer and then Fin closed his notebook, "Alright, Lizzie, we have what we need right now. Patrol is going to pick Noah up, he'll be arraigned and depending on the judge he'll either be held in the tombs until trial or he'll be released on bail. If he's released there will be a protective order and he won't be allowed within a thousand feet of you."

"Okay," She whispered, "thank you."

"If you remember anything else," Munch added, "have your Dad or Olivia call us." He patted her hand and then followed Fin from the room.

Lizzie leaned back into the bed wishing that it would swallow her whole. She rolled her head to the right and gave Olivia a tear filled smile, "Thank you for staying with me Liv."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, Liz." She promised, "We'll get you through this. I promise that you aren't alone in this. Okay?"

"Okay," She nodded, "Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"Will I have to go back to school if he's released?" She sniffled and Olivia once again wiped her tears, "I don't ever want to see him again. As much as I love him, I hate him. My head hurts and it's not just from the concussion."

"I don't know," Olivia took her hand, "Your parents will have to figure that one out later but I know they won't make you do anything that would be harmful for you." She leaned forward and pressed a kiss just above her eyebrow, "Now get some rest because soon your entire family will be here."

"Joy." Lizzie mumbled, rolling onto her side and clutching Olivia's arm like it was a stuffed bear. Olivia ran her free hand through Lizzie's long blond curls, brushing them away from her bruised face. Her emotions were running rampant but as she sat beside her partner's daughter she thanked a God she didn't put much stock in that Lizzie was alive and, moreover, that Lizzie was letting her guard down and trusting her.

Elliot walked in after bidding a goodbye to Munch and Fin. Silently, he walked across the floor and took a seat next to Olivia, interlacing his left hand with her right and resting his free hand on Lizzie's bed. They sat in silence taking in the slumbering teenager with the tiniest of angelic smiles that came with the comfort of freedom from her abuser. If breaking was an art form, Elizabeth Stabler was the Mona Lisa.


	2. I Climb

**Wow, I did not anticipate this story getting this kind of reaction. Thank you all so much. I'm having surgery this Friday, so as far as updates go? It all depends on when I'm feeling up to it. I have so many ideas for this story that it's hard to channel them all. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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_I don't want to be anything at all,  
I just want you to see who I am,  
And stop the violence,  
No more silence.  
_-Thousand Foot Krutch's 'I Climb'

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Olivia Benson sat beside her partner's youngest daughter as she twisted and turned, fighting the demons of her dreams. It had taken the better part of an hour and multiple promises that she wouldn't leave to get Lizzie to give into exhaustion. Empty pizza boxes were shoved into the waste baskets and Dickie had fallen asleep against Kathy in the hard plastic chairs using Elliot's jacket as a blanket. Her partner had yet to let go of her hand as he brushed Lizzie's bangs from her forehead.

"No," Lizzie twisted away from her father's touch and whimpered, "No. Noah...please, no!"

"Lizzie," Elliot dropped Olivia's hand and shook his daughter's shoulder, "wake up, Liz. It's just a dream, wake up." The seventeen year old shot up in a wave of pure panic. Her heart raced and her brow was damp with sweat as she looked around the room. Dickie jumped up from where he was seated and rushed to the other side of the bed, lowering the guard rail and perching beside his twin's hip.

"Dickie." She grasped his hand.

He squeezed her hand, "I'm right here, Liz. You're safe. It's just me and mom and dad and Liv."

"Lizzie," Olivia jumped in, "you've got to calm down, Sweetheart. You're hyperventilating."

"It's okay," Dickie promised and stared her directly in the eyes, "you're fine, Elizabeth. Focus on me, okay? Just look at me and match my breathing. In through the nose and out through the mouth, Lizzie. Just like when we used to do cross country, remember? You've got to slow your breathing down so you don't pass out. You've got to finish the race. It's just you and me on the cross country path. Just you and me, Lizzie. No one can touch you. No one can hurt you."

Elliot watched his son with pride as the twins broke off into their own little world. They had grown apart a lot since they had begun high school but they were still each others best friend. Dickie blinked one eye, then the other, and then both at once and Lizzie repeated the action. The process repeated itself until Lizzie's heartbeat returned to normal and she collapsed into a heap against the pillows.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as Elliot poured her a glass of water and held the straw to her lips.

Kathy moved to stand behind Dickie, resting her hands on his shoulders, "It's okay, Honey. You're gonna get through this and it'll be okay."

"It's not okay," Tears flooded her blue eyes, "how is it ever gonna be okay?"

"Lizzie, look at me," Olivia whispered, "I know right now it seems like your entire world is crumbling down and it's never gonna be okay again, but it will be. You are so strong, you're already through the worst of it. I know it doesn't seem like it, it's a hard climb back up, but you're not alone now. You've got your Mom and Dad, all your siblings, and me, Munch, and Fin in your corner. You're not alone anymore."

"Not alone," Lizzie breathed and squeezed Olivia's hand, "I'm not alone."

–

"Sit down, Noah." Fin Tutuola lead Noah Jacobs into the interrogation room and 'helped' him into the chair on the far side of the table, "We're gonna have a chat."

"You'll have to forgive my partner," Munch piped in as he closed the door behind him, "he doesn't take too kindly to children of the NYPD being used as punching bags."

"I don't know what that bitch told you, but I didn't lay a hand on her." Noah crossed his arms and tipped back in the chair. They had apprehended Noah at his house where they also found Lizzie's bag with the contents smashed to bits and blood on his class ring.

"See," Fin flopped open the manilla folder, "your lips tell me bull shit but the evidence tells a whole 'nother story." He pulled out the pictures of Lizzie in the hospital and laid them on the table, "That's your girlfriend, you wanna explain how she got the living hell beat out of her?"

"She's accident prone." Noah fired back with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah," Munch raised a brow, "I'm sure she accidentally walked into your fist."

"Doesn't my dad have to be here for this?"

"You're eighteen, Genius," Fin explained, "do you wish the invoke your right to council?"

Noah shrugged, "Guess not. I didn't do nothin'."

"Right," Fin pointed to a picture, "A CSI will be here to take your hand prints and when your fist matches the marks left on Elizabeth, you're gonna have to change that song you're singing."

"I didn't fucking hurt her," Noah protested, "that bitch is a liar."

"Tell me about your mother, Noah."

"Why? Cause all abusers have mommy issues?" He propped his ankles on the table, " My Mom was disobedient. She got what was comin' to her."

"So, your dad was what?" Fin stood, palms flat on the table, "Just breaking his bitch? That what you did to Elizabeth Stabler, you little punk?"

"I want a lawyer."

"Fantastic." Fin's foot caught the raised leg of his chair and flipped him onto his back before making his exit, "Oops."

Munch stood over the eighteen year old abuser, "That's just a taste of how they break bitches in prison."

–

The corridor of the Manhattan hospital was dimly lit and Olivia Benson paced the four feet in front of Lizzie's room as she talked on her cell phone. Elliot slipped out into the hallway and waited on her to finish. She closed her phone and looked at him, "That was John. Noah invoked his right to council."

"Great." Elliot sighed.

She gave a small smile, "Then Fin knocked him on his ass."

"Sounds about right." He gave a small smile and fell back against the wall, "Thanks for being here today, Livia. You should go home and get some sleep."

"Haven't you learned anything in the last twelve years, El?" She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the right, "I go home when you go home. We're partners. I'm here for the long haul."

Elliot gave her his first true smile since they had arrived at the hospital. He ran a hand over his tired face and looked down at his feet then up at his partner, "It's so weird to be on this side of the fence. I'm sitting in there thinking of everything I tell the fathers of victims and thinking that it all sounds completely stupid."

"Yeah." She nodded and moved to lean against the wall next to him, "It's all cliched and trite when you're the one living it, but, Elliot, all you can do is hold her hand, wipe her tears, and pray to God that getting justice for it will start to heal the wounds."

"See," He waved a hand between them, "this is why we work. I take out the bad guys and you come in with all this sage wisdom."

"Hey," She elbowed him, "I take out the bad guys too."

"That's right," He grinned, "I forgot that you were super woman."

"Well, it is one of my better qualities."

–

"Maureen." John Munch stood, abandoning his cup of coffee and donut, "Thanks for coming here first. I know you want to get to the hospital with Lizzie, but the sooner we get your statement, the sooner this mess will be over with."

Maureen nodded and buried her hands in the kangaroo pocket of her Hudson College sweatshirt as she took a seat beside his desk, "I can't believe that this is actually happening. To Lizzie."

"I know," He squeezed her hand, "did someone get a hold of Kathleen?"

"Yeah," Maureen nodded, "Katie's coming up from Philly as soon as she can get a bus." Kathleen had entered a rehab program in Philadelphia and had then started school at Penn State.

"That's good," Munch nodded, "I just need you to walk me through what you saw on Valentine's Day and what you and Lizzie talked about, okay?"

"Okay," She nodded and picked at a loose thread on her jeans, "I was home for the weekend because I had a date that night and it was easier for me to just stay at home. Anyways, when I got home Lizzie was in the bathroom crying and she had this huge welt on her face. She tried to convince me that it was from walking into a door but it was a hand print and I knew that she had a date that night. We talked for awhile and she admitted that it was some guy named Noah who had done it. She promised me that she wouldn't see him again. She promised!"

"I know she did," Munch handed her a Kleenex, "I promise that we're gonna get this guy, Maureen. He's going to pay for what he did to Lizzie."

"Okay," She sniffled, "I guess, I should have told Dad or someone but... everything has been so messed up since the divorce and things have been crazy between the twins and mom and dad."

"I know." He gave her a soft smile, "Why don't you go on to the hospital and be with your family. I'll let you know if we need anything else."

"Thanks, Munch." She kissed his cheek, waved at Captain Cragen and made her exit.

–

"Your officer exerted unnecessary force on my client." Trevor Langan crossed his arms as he stood in a standoff with Captain Cragen and Alex Cabot.

"It was an accident, Langan." Don Cragen stared at the public defender with his eyes narrowed. Everyone knew that Fin had purposefully kicked Noah Jacob's chair out from under him, but he wasn't about to get his detective in hot water over it.

"Yeah, right." He rolled his eyes and looked between the ADA and Captain, "Look, I know this is Detective Stabler's daughter but the fact is Detective Tutuola let his personal issues get the best of him in that interrogation."

"Evidence still proves that your client abused Elizabeth Stabler." Alex piped in, "The blood on his class ring matched her DNA and his fist imprints matched the bruises that placed Elizabeth Stabler in the hospital. That paired with the corroborating statements of Elizabeth, her sisters, the detectives that took her to the hospital, and Lizzie's teachers that have been suspecting abuse puts your client in hot water, Langan. Noah is screwed. Take a deal. Save everyone the pain of a trial."

"No dice, Cabot." He pulled the papers from his inner pocket, "We'll be entering a plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Noah Jacobs never would have abused Elizabeth Stabler had he not been raised by an abusive father. Noah's claiming that his father raised him to abuse women like this. If that's so, then he doesn't know a world where men don't treat women like rag dolls."

"I'll see you in court, Langan." With that, Alex picked up her brief case and walked briskly from the room.

–

The morning came too quickly for the Stabler family as all were completely exhausted. The doctor had stopped by to check on Lizzie before breakfast and had agreed that she could be released from the hospital later that day.

"Honey," Kathy ran a hand through Lizzie's blond curls, "you've got to eat something." She watched the teenager pick at the breakfast that had been provided.

Elliot squeezed her hand, "What's wrong, Kid?"

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She whispered as she tossed the plastic fork down on the tray and drew her knees to her chest. Elliot's heart broke as it became clear that the damage Noah Jacobs had imparted was far more than just physical.

"Lizzie," Elliot whispered and tilted her chin up with his finger, "you are not at fault in any of this. Noah has some very big problems and he needs to get help for them. I promise you, I'm never gonna let him hurt you like that ever again."

Lizzie nodded, "I don't... I can't.... He knows where we live. He knows where Mom lives and where you live. I don't want to go home."

"Liz.."

"Please," She whimpered, "could I stay with Olivia? He doesn't know where she lives. I'd be safe there, Daddy. Please."

"If it's okay with Olivia," Kathy jumped in, "We'll get the school to send over your homework and you can stay with Liv til he's put in jail for the long haul. We just want you safe, Elizabeth."

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, "Of course, she can stay with me. He won't be arraigned until Monday morning. Once we figure out if he's gonna be released or not, we'll take it from there."

"Thank you." Lizzie almost leaped off the bed as she wrapped her arms around the older woman. Olivia wrapped Lizzie in a hug and rubbed her back soothingly. She shared a look with her partner over his daughter's shoulder and he gave her a small smile of confidence. Lizzie squeezed her neck and held back the tears, for the first time in a long time she felt safe. In a hospital room surrounded by her family, Elizabeth Stabler finally felt like she was safe, loved, like she wasn't broken.


	3. Falls Apart

**I'm sorry, I'm a really sucky updater. **

* * *

_It falls apart from the very start,_  
_It falls apart,_  
_Seems like everything I touch,_  
_Falls apart,_  
_Everything around me falls apart,_  
_When I walk away from you._  
-Thousand Foot Krutch's 'Falls Apart'

* * *

Elliot Stabler stood in the doorway to his youngest daughter's room feeling like an intruder. Despite having shared a room for most of her life, Lizzie was the most secretive of the Stabler children. When Kathleen had left for college Lizzie had taken control of the room and turned it into her safe haven. His eyes glanced over the stack of homework on her desk, the Bible on the nightstand, and books covering every flat surface. He traced his fingers over their last family picture that rested in a frame on Lizzie's desk surrounded by pictures of her and her friends.

A sliding door connected Elizabeth's room to Dickie's after the twins had grown old enough to be placed in separate rooms. They had protested being separated and Elliot had compromised by installing a door to adjoin their rooms while Kathleen had thrown a fit about her little brother's invasion on her privacy. The door slid open and Dickie stood in his pajamas looking at his father, "Need help?"

"I'm trying to get some things of your sister's together to take to Liv's." Elliot explained, "I haven't been here in awhile so I have no idea what Lizzie needs and doesn't need."

"Open the bag," Dickie gestured to the duffel as he opened his sister's closet. He grabbed her jeans, t-shirts, and pajamas and stuffed them into the bag haphazardly, "I'll get the book that she's currently reading and her homework, but I refuse to touch my twin's underwear drawer."

"I'll get your mother to get that." Elliot nodded in agreement having no desire to touch his daughter's unmentionables.

As Kathy gathered the rest of the clothing Lizzie would need for her stay at Olivia's and repacked the bag, Elliot took a seat on Lizzie's bed. The nightstand was littered with books, folded up notes, and framed pictures surrounding the lamp. Her cross necklace she had received for confirmation hung over the lamp shade and his finger traced over the silver chain as a picture caught his eyes. He picked up the dark wood frame that held a picture of Elizabeth and himself at the beach.

The picture had been taken three years ago on a family vacation to South Carolina. He had been standing on the boardwalk with his arms around Lizzie as he tried to teach her how to cast a line. The fourteen year old had her head tossed back in laughter as he blew a raspberry on her cheek. That was the last picture the two of them had taken together and it broke his heart to realize that was the last time he had heard her laugh.

The bed creaked as Kathy sat down beside him and took the picture from his hands, "Don't do that, Elliot. You've done the best you could when it comes to the kids and they're lucky to have a father who cares so much. We'll get Lizzie back on track and all will be right with the world."

"Thanks." He patted her knee appreciatively before looking at the duffel and bookbag that rested on the beige carpet next to the door, "I should get that stuff over to Liv's so Lizzie can take a shower and get some sleep."

"Yeah," Kathy stood and gave him a hug, "tell Olivia thank you for me and don't hurt your back too much when you end up crashing on her couch." He raised his eyebrows, "Like you're gonna leave Lizzie and Liv alone? Face facts, Elliot, I know you."

"That you do. Thanks, Kath." He kissed her cheek before ducking into Dickie's room to say goodbye.

–

"This is the guest room," Olivia flicked on the light as she opened the door. Lizzie stood behind her in a pair of borrowed sweats and her patient's belonging bag hanging from her wrist, "I'll change the sheets and your dad should be here soon with your clothes so you can take a shower."

"Thanks, Livia." She sighed and placed her bag on the edge of the bed, "For everything."

"Hey," Olivia tipped her chin to look her in the eyes, "you kids are welcome here anytime you want. Emergency or not."

The seventeen year old offered a small smile and nod, "Okay."

"You hungry?" Olivia asked as she leaned against the door frame, "I was thinking we'd order some Chinese or pizza. Up to you."

"Chinese would be good." She admitted as she flopped back on the bed. The last few days catching up with her and every imaginable place on her body ached and her stomach growled from hunger, "Liv, I really, really, really want to shower. Do you have something I could put on until my Dad gets here with my stuff?"

"I think I can find something." She smiled and disappeared into her room before coming back with a NYPD shirt and a pair of basketball shorts, "They're small on me but should be baggy enough on you that they don't make anything hurt worse. Do you need another pain pill yet?"

"Nah," Lizzie shook her head, "I'm still flying high from whatever they gave me at the hospital. I'll probably take one with dinner so I don't get sick." She stood slowly to not jar any of her injuries more than she had to.

"Alright," Olivia lead her away from the guest bath and down the hall to the master suite, "I figure it's gonna be painful to shower so I'm allowing you into my inner sanctum and letting you use my bath tub."

"I think Dad should get the church to canonize you," Lizzie chuckled and then cringed as her a pain shot through her ribs, "Olivia, you've got to be eligible for sainthood by now."

"I just appreciate the healing powers of a bath," Liv chuckled as she pulled a big towel out of the cupboard and placed it on the counter before opening the drawer under the sink, "There's a bunch of bath salts and soaps in here. You're welcome to use whatever. I'll order the food and then hopefully your dad will be here. Holler if you need anything."

"Thanks." Lizzie called as Olivia slipped from the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

–

"Add an extra order of egg rolls." Olivia spoke into the phone as she sat on the kitchen counter looking over the menu for the local Chinese delivery, "Thirty minutes? That's perfect. Thank you." She hung up and tossed the phone on the counter before stretching and popping her back.

It had been a hectic thirty-six hours and she knew that she wouldn't be getting sleep anytime in the near future. Hopping off the counter, she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and went to change the bed sheets on Lizzie's bed. Her guest room hadn't received much use since her job presented her with too many hours and too few friends. The last time the room had been used had been when the eldest Stabler child had ended up in a fight with her boneheaded partner and refused to go home.

A knock came on the door a short while later and Olivia grabbed her wallet before heading to the door. The door swung open to reveal Elliot carrying the luggage and three bags full of Chinese food, "I caught the delivery man on the way up. I figure it's the least I can do."

"Will you and Lizzie please quit thanking me. I'm not doing anything you wouldn't do." She took the bags of food from him and placed them on the table, "Put the bags in the guest room, I gotta go lure your kid outta my bathtub."

"Yes Ma'am." Elliot smiled and did as she said as Olivia disappeared down the hallway.

Like the cop she was, she pounded on the bathroom door with the side of her arm, "Liz? Your Dad's here and so's the food. Plan on joining the land of the living any time soon?"

"I'll be right out." The reply was muffled by the door but sufficed Olivia as she went to join her partner at the dinner table.

"She'll be right out." She explained as she collapsed into the chair across from her partner and began to dip up her own plate.

Lizzie joined them several minutes later clad in Olivia's clothes with her long blond hair dripping wet. She took her seat silently, tucking her legs underneath her and picking at her food. Elliot watched his daughter for several moments before accepting the mood she was in and returning to his dinner.

"Your Mom packed your clothes and I brought your bookbag in case you're bored and want to work on anything." Elliot explained around a bite of white rice, "I think Dickie tossed a couple of your books in there too."

"Okay," Lizzie whispered as she took a small bite of her chicken, "My head's really starting to hurt. Can I have another pill yet?"

Olivia glanced at her watch before nodding and getting up. The pharmacy bag sat on the counter and Olivia dumped the contents onto the flat surface before searching through the antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and pain killers. Finally finding the one she was looking for, she twisted off the cap and handed Lizzie the prescribed dose. She swallowed the pill dry before chasing it with a sip of water and slumping against the chair.

"Why don't you call your mom and then go to bed." Elliot suggested.

"You're not leaving are you?" Her voice sounded panicked and she drew further into herself. Elliot scooted over and pulled her into his arms which settled her down quite a bit.

"I won't leave, Lizzie, you're safe."

–

Brent Jacobs was furious as he stormed into the 16th precinct of the New York Police Department. His fist clinch and fury raging in his dark green eyes as he swung open the door to the squad room. The work boots on his feet stomped against the tile as he crossed the floor slowly and surely. He paused at the desk where two officers sat, "I'm looking for a Captain Cragen."

"And you are?" John Munch asked though he already knew the answer to that question. Noah had his father's dirty blond hair and tall stature.

"Brent Jacobs." He explained, his aggravation growing immensely, "My son, Noah, was arrested."

"Ah," Captain Cragen stood in the doorway of his office, "Mr. Jacobs, I'm Captain Cragen, if you come with me we can talk about this in private."

Brent let out a frustrated grunt, "Look, just tell me what I have to do to take my kid home."

"Noah is being held on a domestic battery charge," Cragen explained as he lead the man into an interview room, "He'll be held overnight again tonight and will have to appear before a judge tomorrow morning to be arraigned. If you could make a statement then it might help expedite the process tomorrow."

"Domestic battery?" He asked before taking a seat across from Cragen at the table, "What's goin' on?"

"I'm sure that you know your son has been seeing Elizabeth Stabler?" Cragen asked and Brent nodded the affirmative, "Elizabeth was admitted to the hospital on Friday evening with a severe concussion, bruised ribs, and multiple abrasions. When the police found your son, Elizabeth's bag was found with the contents smashed to bits and her blood was found on his class ring."

"Dammit, Noah." He growled as his fist collided with the table top.

"Sir," Cragen regained his attention, "I need to ask you a few questions and then you'll be free to go. Have you ever seen your son act inappropriately with Miss Stabler? Has he ever yelled at her or touched her inappropriately?"

"Absolutely not," He spat, "I taught Noah how to treat a woman. He'd never do such a thing."

"Right," Cragen nodded, jotting notes down, "So, your own domestic battery charge in two thousand and five was what? Just a big mistake?"

–

Elliot sat with his ankles crossed on Olivia's coffee table and Liv dosing on the couch next to him. They had settled into the couch not long after Lizzie had caved into sleep for the night. Half-way through a rerun of Friends, Olivia had dozed off while Elliot sat staring at the TV without following the show.

He cursed himself for being unable to see this coming. So much had changed since he and Kathy had gotten divorced and unfortunately the kids had to deal with the brunt of it. He hadn't been around enough to see that his little girl was on a one way path to destruction and had brushed off Lizzie's bruises as accidents and arguments with kids at school though Lizzie had never before gotten in a fight. He wished there was a way to turn back the clock; let Elizabeth know that she was worth more, tell her no when she had asked to go out with Noah Jacobs.

Elliot was drawn from his thoughts as a piercing scream was emitted from the spare bedroom. Olivia sat up with a start before following Elliot in his sprint to the bedroom. Lizzie sat straight up, knees drawn to her chest as she gasped for air. He knelt beside the bed, taking her hand, "It's okay, Lizzie, it's just me and Olivia. You're fine. You're safe."

"I..." Lizzie leaned against Olivia who crawled onto the other side of the bed and wrapped her arms around the girl, "He was strangling me. I couldn't get free. He kept saying how I had messed up and I was going to pay for what I had done."

"Lizzie," Olivia ran her fingers through Elizabeth's long blond locks, "no one is going to hurt you. Your Dad and I won't let him get near you ever again. I promise."

"Will you stay?" Lizzie asked, clinging to her.

"Yeah," She looked at Elliot and then his daughter, "We'll stay."

–

The courtroom was filled to the brim with families and police officers waiting for criminals to be arraigned. Alexandra Cabot stood at the prosecution table across from Trevor Langan as a uniformed officer lead Noah in by the chain between his cuffs. Names were read into the record and the judge reviewed the file before him, "How does the defendant plead?"

"Not guilty, Your Honor." Noah spoke with the roll of his eyes and a sigh.

"What's the prosecution asking for, Miss Cabot?"

"Remand, Your Honor." Alex looked at the judge over the top of her glasses, "We consider Noah Jacobs to be a flight risk. He has family up and down the east coast and the means to flee the country."

"This is his first offense!" Trevor retorted, "He's eighteen years old and enrolled in a Queens high school where he has ties to several sports teams."

"We'll meet halfway." The judge spoke, "Bail is set at fifty thousand dollars and the defendant is ordered to surrender his passport and wear a tracking anklet for the duration."

The gavel banged as a sense of anxiousness filled the heart of Lizzie Stabler. The Monster was being unleashed and the Damsel was afraid that all the threats in the world couldn't keep him away.


End file.
